You need a food item produced so you outsource production. This isn’t uncommon. You look at their track record, reviews, pricing - everything. As you should! This company is going to be making a product with your name - your logo - your label on it. Making sure they meet your quality standards is a must.
You know how it’s made and what it’s made with, but do you know what they are touching your food with while they are making it?
The processor should be the expert at what they do. We agree. You should trust them. We agree. But when we reach out to companies the conversation usually goes something like this.
“Do you have a moment to talk disposable gloves? We want to make sure your food safety programs are as strong as they can be?”
“We don’t purchase gloves. We use a processor.”
“Great! And what gloves do they use?”
“I don’t know.”
It’s all a bit alarming to us. Why? Ask yourself…
- Which brand is going to be in the news for a food safety recall?
- Who has to pay for the recall, which has been estimated to be $30 million or more?
- Who will face litigation if customers are affected by your recall?
- Which brand reputation will be damaged by a recall? The hardest factor to recover from is the loss of business due to lost consumer trust in your brand and products.
The answer isn’t your processor. It’s your company. There's no need to panic, but it is good practice to specify the glove that’s used to process your food.
A few things to consider:
- How often to the gloves rip/tear - which can release bacteria onto your food?
- What are their hand hygiene and glove changing policies? Are there opportunities for cross contamination?
- What type of gloves do your processor use? Are their chemicals in them? Carcinogens?
- If you are manufacturing in California, do they meet Prop 65 requirements (often vinyl gloves do not)?
It’s time to be proactive to prevent foodborne illness and specify the type and quality of gloves your processor uses, not reactive by waiting to respond to an adverse event.
We know people don’t often think about disposable protective gloves as often as we do. In fact we hope our customers NEVER have to again. We love gloves. We study them so we better understand them. We put in the work so our customers know they are making the best glove choice for their specific food handling needs. Let us help find the best disposable gloves for your business.
